Azure Skies
by Batosai
Summary: The sequel to Crimson Light, now narrorated by Kazu's son, Shinta. What new adventures await in the world for the new generation of heroes?
1. Prolouge

It was a moonless night, and a small family was travelling via caravan with only the light of the stars to guide them. This family consisted of a mother, a father, and a little boy... who I knew to be me. Everything seemed quiet... almost too quiet for the forests of Ronfaure. 

"How much longer until we get there, Dad?" I asked.

"Hush now, Shinta," my mother said. "you need your sleep, let your father drive."

Something felt strange about this trip... I just couldn't shake the feeling, no matter how hard I tried.

"Please," my father said. "take Shinta and run, hurry- before we're completely surrounded."

"I understand..." my mother said, picking me up. "but will you be alright?"

"I'm not certain," my father responded. "but get to San d'Oria as quickly as possible. Ronfaure is no longer safe for you two."

My mother got out of the caravan with me, and just as she stepped down an arrow went into her chest, mere inches from my face.

"Mother!" I screamed in horror.

My father jumped out of the caravan, wielding his prized lance, and landed near us.

"Are you alright?" He asked my mother.

"I'll... be fine." She responded.

"Save your strength," he replied. "we all have to make it out of here together."

An orcish raiding party ambushed the caravan, and my father fought them off well, until a purple light struck through his shoulder.

"W... what?" He asked. "Who are you?"

"I will soon be the new ruler of this land," a voice said. "and I don't want to have to deal with meddling fools such as yourself!"

Another purple light went straight through his heart afterwards, making him fall to the ground in a puddle of blood.

"No!" My mother said, tears coming down her eyes, knowing she couldn't even move with the arrow in her chest.

"You're no good either!" The voice shouted just before another arrow went into my mother's chest, going in deeper than before.

"S-shinta..." my mother said. "you must... live on. You can't die here... please... live." With that, she faded away, still holding me in her arms.

"Well..." the voice said. "one more life to take before I return to my slumber."

"...M...mother..." I said, unable to stop crying. "Mother!"

I woke up in my bed inside the dormitory of the San d'Orian Cathedral.

"That dream again..." I said to myself. "doesn't it ever stop?" I got dressed and left the dormitory, stopping by a window on my way out.

Three years ago, King Trion had been assassinated by a surviving Dark Knight from the Dark Project. As a result of the incident, San d'Oria was plunged into a brutal Civil War. Entire families were split apart by the chaos, and invading orc armies were free to roam about the streets, doing whatever they pleased. Before it got too unstable, the orcs that were in the Cathedral were slain and the Papsque and every one of his pupils joined their magics to create an unbreakable barrier around the Cathedral. By doing so, they could focus on strengthening their magics and fighting skills to one day reclaim San d'Oria as a nation.

However, things only went from bad to worse. Demons had started spawning outside of the barrier, killing anything in sight- man, woman, child, or orc. San d'Oria was considered to most within the Cathedral to be a lost cause, but the Papsque didn't give up hope, and neither did I. I had no ability to use magic of any form, but I had been training as a fighter and found old dusty books in the Library on alchemy.  
With these two skills, I figured, I could at least help in the fight somehow.

I looked at the sky and sighed, knowing that no amount of physical strength or alchemic knowledge would ever help stop this war.

"Shinta!" Kalyun said, running up to me. "You've got to hurry! The Papsque wants to speak with you in his chambers!"

I had known Kalyun for as long as I can remember, and although he pulled pranks from time to time, nothing he ever said was this serious- I knew he couldn't be kidding.

"Thanks, see you at lunch!" I said, running to the Papsque's Chambers, hoping he wouldn't be angry at me for delaying him, or running in the Cathedral. I stopped in front of his door, and opened it and walked inside. "You wished to speak with me, Your Holiness?" I asked.

"Yes, Shinta," the Papsque responded. "please, have a seat."

I sat in one of his many chairs, and readied myself for what he was about to say.

"Shinta..." he said. "you are the only one in this Cathedral who knows not a single drop of magic. Why do you think that is?"

"Um... I'm not really sure, to be honest." I said.

"Genetic Alchemy." The Papsque told me. "It is a form of alchemy developed by your grandparents that gives the subject the ability to perform any type of alchemy without the use of symbols or transmutation circles. However, there are two downsides to such an art. One, being that it may lay dormant for many generations- the subject implanted with it may never be able to use such a power. The second, is that it takes place of any magic abilities the user may ever have."

"But that's impossible," I said. "I've never even met my grandparents."

"You didn't have to," the Papsque responded. "it was implanted within their child, your father- the last Dragoon of San d'Oria, Kazu."

"..." I was speechless. Not only could I never learn magic, and use alchemy without symbols, but the two people I looked up to as a child were actually the same person.

"Take this." The Papsque said, handing me a sword sealed within a sceath. "If you are truly the heir of Seijuro and Kazu, then you will know what to do with it... when the time is right."

"Thank you, Your Holiness." I said, bowing, then I left his chambers. So much had come into my world in one visit there...

"Hey, Shinta!" Kalyun said. "Did everything go alright? And what's with the sword?"

I grinned, and said, "You'll see my friend. We will all see soon enough."


	2. Chapter 1 First Skill

Screams of help from a friend I had never before met... and a cold, howling laughter from afar. I woke up and looked instantly to my right, at the sword given to me by the Papsque. Ever since he gave it to me last week, I had been having the same dream over and over again. Kalyun told me it might be a foreshadowing of things to come, but neither of us knew how or why- since no one could get out of the barrier either. 

"I dunno anymore man," Kalyun said. "maybe you're really just making it all up."

"Can you explain why the Papsque gave me a sword that I can't even remove from it's sceath, let alone use to spar against anyone with?"

"Well... no... not really." He responded, also confused at the Papsque's actions. "Maybe it's just his way of comforting you for not being able to help anyone here."

"Heh... maybe you're right," I replied. "I guess I do feel a bit better having a weapon at my side."

"Kazu... Kazu..." a voice said from behind me. "Kazu... help me..."

"Who's there?" I asked, looking quickly behind me to see only an empty space on the floor.

"...Are you alright Shinta?" Kalyun asked.

"I heard a voice... calling out for Kazu's help, just behind me." I responded.

"You should go get that checked out." He added.

"I wasn't kidding." I said, walking off towards the dormitories to clear my mind. What was it that I saw? Who was it? Why were they asking for Kazu's help?

I looked outside, and nearby I saw a young hume girl standing on a balcony, as well as a perfectly calm and peaceful night in San d'Oria- which wasn't possible since the war began. Behind her, hidden in the shadows was a knight wielding a lance, most likely a Dragoon.

"I know what I'm doing is wrong..." she whispered. "but... I can't just let my mother keep suffering. I'll do whatever it takes to pay for her operation... please... Altana, please help me save her! I beg of you, let me find a way to help my mother!" She began to cry, and I saw the knight step out of the shadows and put his hand on her shoulder. She turned around quickly and said, "It's you!"

"Don't fret, I know of your need for the money, and you can keep it. Is there something that I could help you with?" The knight asked her.

"Why would you want to help a thief like me?" She asked in response. "You're supposed to be a cold-hearted killer, right? Well... that's what everyone else in the Kingdom says, so why not kill me right now and get it over with?"

"I've comitted many crimes in the past, and taken the lives of many innocent people as well," he replied. "I know that many people will never forgive me for what I have done in the past. However, that will not stop me from trying to help those in need of it now. The suffering people of this world, such as you and your mother, do not deserve such cruelty upon them. But who is to help them? Their government? Unlikely. Thus, I have deticated my life to protecting the weak from anything that brings them harm."

"...Batosai..." she said, taking in what the knight just told her. "Is there a way to save my mother?"

"That is something you will learn on your own," he said. "but you must first walk the path of life that your heart has chosen for you. I will see to it that your mother gets the best of care San d'Oria has to offer. Now please, get some sleep. You need it if you wish to stay healthy." He jumped off of the balcony, and landed softly on the ground, then went off to the North.

"Shinta! Hey, are you daydreaming again?" Kalyun said, snapping me out of my vision.

"What is that girl doing there?" I asked.

"Dude... what girl?" He replied. "There haven't been any San d'Orians outside of the Cathedral for years, you know that!"

I looked back at the balcony, but saw the normal San d'Oria, and ruins of what used to be a home. I went back to my bed to try and sort things out, but nothing made any sense. Why did I hear someone asking for Kazu's help? Who were those two people I had seen on the balcony? How can I see and hear things that others cannot? None of it added up!

I got up and looked at my sceathed sword, and decided it was time to learn the answers with my own strength, following my own path. I took the sword, put it on my belt, then went down to the original doorway to the Cathedral.

'If I ever want to discover the answers to my visions... and to my fate...' I thought to myself. 'Then I must wield this sword!'

I charged the doorway, putting my hand on the handle of the sword. "Tachi:" I began, drawing the sword from it's sceath. "ENPI!" I struck twice forming an X with two powerful wave attacks which broke through the barrier around the doors. I looked at the sword in awe, noticing the blue hue as it glowed in the darkness of night.

"Thank you for everything," I said, walking out of the hole as it began to close. "I'll be back... when I get my own answers... to restore order to San d'Oria!"

I walked out into the war-torn Kingdom, readying myself for whatever threats could possibly come my way in this new world.


	3. Chapter 2 Shadow Knight

I walked along the broken streets of San d'Oria, looking for any signs of life. However, all I could see was destruction, and a few orc soldiers patrolling the area. 

"Hurch! Intruder! Attack!" An orc yelled who spotted me.

"I am no intruder," I responded, drawing my sword. "for San d'Oria!"

Five orcs surrounded me, running towards me with their various weapons. I leaped into the air as I had studied from the texts written for rookie Dragoons, and sliced open three of the orcs on my way down to the ground.When I landed, I charged directly through a fourth orc, and turned to face the fifth one, who had pointed me out to the others.

"Leave now and I will be merciful." I said to it.

"Too strong!" It yelled. "Must warn the Master!" The orc took off running towards North San d'Oria, and I decided not to follow. If the Master was the one who did all of this, then it was him who I wanted to test all of my training on first.

"Your skills in combat..." a girl's voice said from behind the rubble. "You must be Kousaten! Prepare to die!"

Three people jumped from behind the rubble, and then each of them charged me. I deflected two sword strikes, but one slashed a cut into my right arm.

"What is this?" I said in astonishment, noticing the three looked exactly alike.

"The shadow skill," they all said. "Utsusemi! Every shinobi knows of it, and I have it fully mastered!"

"So you're a kunoichi..." I said. "and you've come here for whoever this Kousaten is."

"Stop playing games!" The middle one yelled. "I know that you're Kousaten!"

"I must admit, I have never met a Kousaten in the Cathedral." I responded.

"You're from the Cathedral?" The right one asked.

"Impossible!" The left one said. "No one can pass the barrier, especially not Kousaten!"

"I did it with this sword." I said, showing them my unsceathed weapon. It's glowing blue hue made all of their eyes widen with shock.

"That's the legendary sealing sword!" The middle girl said. "The Amanomurakumo!"

"Huh?" I asked.

"It's a blade that was used to seal Dynamis long ago," the left girl added. "it has been passed down, skipping generations. The last known wielder of it was Seijuro, father of Kazu and Kousaten."

"Well..." I said. "from what I've been told, I'm Kazu's son- but I don't remember my Dad."

"At least you having that sword proves you aren't Kousaten," the right girl said. "it cannot be wielded by anyone with impure intentions- and Kousaten is the most evil person on this planet!"

"Yeah," the middle one said. "just look at what he did to San d'Oria!"

"I know..." I said. "I've seen it since the war began."

"Oh..." the middle one said, sighing. "Oh- right! I almost forgot!" The other two shadow copies vanished, and she added, "My name is Misao. Nice to meet you, and sorry about earlier."

"I'm Shinta." I responded.

"How touching..." another voice said. "now I can get rid of both annoyances at once. Two meddlers with one slice! Today is going to be quite a day- the end of the Cathedral!"

"No one is going to touch the Cathedral except for those who need it to live!" I yelled in response, gripping my sword.

"It doesn't matter," the voice responded. "you will all die soon anyway. Once the Dark Lord rises... there shall be no more life in Vana'diel! This new life that plauges it shall be no more, and a new world can be born!"

"You're Kousaten!" Misao shouted.

"Brilliant deduction, for a dead girl." He said, floating down to the ground. "I am Kousaten, the Shadow Knight." He looked at me, and he had a look of suprise in his eyes. "...Kazu?" He asked.

"No," I responded. "I am his son- Shinta."

"Ohh... yes, I remember now. You must be the son of that other Elvaan, Konami, as well. My Lord will be most pleased once I get rid of you!" He yelled, gathering energy in his blade.

"...Uncle Kousaten..." I said. "You have suffered enough. Being left for dead, siding with darkness, being enveloped by a demonic entity... isn't that enough?What do you need to be satisfied?"

"I'd say..." he said, still charging energy. "for everyone on this miserable world to suffer!" He released the energy, and I ran in front of it. No matter what the cost, Misao nor anyone else in San d'Oria did anything to upset him- none of them deserved such suffering.

_'No matter what...'_ I thought. _'I have to protect them!'_


End file.
